GENERAL INFORMATION / VISITOR GUIDE
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Banks
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Bargaining
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Climate
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Congress Venue
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Currency & Credit Cards
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Electricity
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Insurance & Liability
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Language
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Passports and Visas
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Post Offices
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Shopping
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Time
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Tips
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Vaccinations
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BANKS
Banks are usually open from Monday to Thursday from 08.00
- 14.00 hours. Many banks open again as from 17.00 hours for
two or three hours.
BARGAINING
Bargaining is part of everyday life in Egypt. All prices are negotiable
and bargaining is expected.
CLIMATE
Temperatures in September vary between 25-35
oC
CONGRESS VENUE
The congress venue is the International City Stars Hotel
Heliopolis. This hotel is situated only seven minutes from
Cairo International Airport. The address is:
Omar Ibn El Khattab Street, Cairo, 1173.
Telephone: +20-2-4800100; Telefax: +20-2-4800200
The luxurious Intercontinental Heliopolis Cairo is located adjacent to Cairo's largest retail and leisure
complex "Citystars" and just seven minutes from Cairo International Airport. The hotel
has 790 guest rooms. All sessions and the exhibition are scheduled in the hotel's
conference center. It further offers various restaurants, a 3000-square-metre Spa and
Fitness Center, squash- and tennis courts, a large outdoor swimming pool and children's pool
and a 24-hour Casino. There is access to 550 shops, 16 cinemas and a family entertainment centre.
CURRENCY and CREDIT CARDS
The currency in Egypt is the Egypt Pound. One pound consists
of 100 piastres. Money can be changed at banks or at 5-star
hotels. It is not advisable to change money in the streets. All
well-known credit cards are usually accepted. It is advisable to
carry an identity card or any form of photo identification.
1 US$ is about 05.75 Egyptian pounds. 1 Euro is about 06.81 Egyptian pounds. For real-time currency conversions check at
OANDA.com Classic or
XE.net UCC.
Restrictions: The importation and exportation of local currency is limited
to 100 Egyptian pounds for non-residents. The importation of
foreign currency is not limited and the exportation of foreign
currency is permitted up to the amount imported and declared
on arrival.
ELECTRICITY
Electricity is supplied at 220 volts AC; 50Hz. Wall sockets are the round two-pin European type.
INSURANCE & LIABILITY
Participants are strongly advised to organize their own travel-,
health- and cancellation insurance in the unfortunate case that
you will have to cancel the congress participation and/or travel
and/or hotelaccommodation because of illness or other (personal)
circumstances. Please consult your insurance broker.
Neither the ISSM, the ISSM Executive Office nor the Local Organizing Committee or any of their officers, agents, employees or representatives
assume any liability whatsoever.
LANGUAGE
The offi cial language in Egypt is Arabic. However, English,
French & Spanish are widely spoken and understood.
The offi cial congress language is English.
PASSPORTS AND VISAS
You may pre-order your arrival visa through Escapade Travel
which is part of a Meet and Greet package (see attached Hotel,
Transfer and Excursion Booking form). A passport with a minimum
of 6 months validity is required.
Citizens of the following countries are required to be in
possession of a pre-arrival visa which must be obtained in the
country of their origin. These countries are (in alphabetical order):
Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Chechnya, Croatia, Georgia, India, Indonesia,
Iraq, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Lebanon, Macau, Macedonia,
Malaysia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Morocco, Pakistan,
Palestine, The Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Sri-Lanka,
Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
and all African countries.
A letter of invitation can be issued by the Local Secretariat in
Cairo for guests who have registered for the conference.
This information is checked at the time of printing but is provided without any warranty.
POST OFFICES
Post offices are open from 07.00 - 19.00 hours from Saturday
to Thursday.
SHOPPING
Most shops are open from 09.00 -13.00 hours and 17.00 - 22.00
hours all week. This might vary however, as there are no strict
rules regarding opening hours.
TIME
Egypt is two hours ahead of GMT and daylight saving time is
observed, beginning in late April and ending on 30 September.
TIPS
Tipping in Egypt is called Baksheesh. It is more than just an
award for service rendered; it is an essential mean of supplementing
income, as wages are generally much lower than in
Western countries.
VACCINATIONS
Vaccinations you should consider having for Egypt include the
following: Diphtheria & Tetanus, Polio & Hepatitis A. We advise
you to seek medical advice at least six weeks before travel and
to carry proof of your vaccinations.
